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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · pound · tube · wave · mug · drill · cap · charge

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. charge — a price
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bound — certain
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. mug — a face
  8. bound — obliged
  9. drill — the tool
  10. tube — a container
  11. mug — a cup
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. tube — the underground
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. cap — a lid
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. cap — of ice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com